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The Olympic And 50 Shades Effect On Online Shopping - But More Woes Expected For The High Street In 2013

04 January 2013

While Olympic fever and the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy appear to have had a significant influence on online shopping habits in 2012, directors at www.shopsafe.co.uk believe 2013 has the potential to see these trends continue.

Analysis of the 2012 traffic through the site to its 4,000 listed retailers showed both the sports and adult product markets had enjoyed a strong year, with Sportsdirect.com and Ann Summers among the most visited outlets.

Sports clothing was also among the most searched products on www.shopsafe.co.uk. The top two search categories were women's clothing and electrical goods, while Amazon, one of the world's longest established online retailer, remained at the top of the list of shops visited.

However, the growth of mobile platform shopping is likely to add to the woes of high street retailers in 2013.

An increased move towards shopping via the mobile platforms is also expected in 2013, as technology moves forward and the share of internet browsing conducted on mobile devices continues to grow.

Graham Miller, director of www.shopsafe.co.uk said: "The spirit of 2012 was epitomised by the Olympics, while the year's hottest books were the 50 Shades trilogy, and economic boosts have been attributed to both, so it is no surprise to see that reflected in online shopping trends. As yet, this doesn't seem to be changing, so there could be a continuation into 2013.

"The growth in shopping from a mobile platform could also prove an added threat to high street retailers, as more consumers find themselves able to test a product in store and then instantly search to buy it cheaper online. As retailers such as Amazon update their mobile applications, making them more like the websites, and retailers use responsive web design to adapt their mobile presence, this is only going to get worse for the high street."